Adding Sanding Sugar to Cookies

A new year puts me in the mood for cleaning and organizing. I’ve just about finished the house, so now it’s on to the computer. I’ve had this post saved for MONTHS but just never published it. Why? Because the pictures suck. Not one of my brightest ideas to use clear sugar to demonstrate adding sanding sugar to a cookie but I have those moments sometimes. I blame the kids.

Anyway, I guess I have a thing for sanding sugar. It’s an easy way to make plain cookie look really special. I have it in about every single color imaginable.

Sanding sugar should not be mistaken with course sugar. It’s a totally different thing which I’ll explain in detail next week. In the meantime, I’ll show you how I add it to the outside of my cookies. It’s easier to do than you might think.

Get REALLY close to the screen and you might be able to see the clear sugar around my daisies!

Did I mention I resolved not to take any bad photos in 2012?

Start with a cookie that has been decorated and is completely dry. I always work on a sheet of waxed paper so I save the excess sugar to use again.

Use piping icing to outline the area that you want sugared. You can use a matching color or a different one entirely if you want to change things up. Just make sure the icing is the consistency of toothpaste.

After outlining pour sugar directly onto the wet border. Don’t do too many at once, because if you do the icing will dry and the sugar won’t stick.

Give the border dry {maybe an hour or two} then dump off the excess sugar. After about 3 hours use a clean dry paintbrush to move any sugar that might have been left behind.

Fold the waxed paper in half and put it back into the jar. You can see a visual example HERE. For a picture tutorial on how I add sanding sugar to the entire surface of a cookie click HERE.

And for those of you who cannot see a darn thing I did with that clear sugar, here’s a video example.

When you’re finished, you’ll have these…

or these, for those of you without magic invisible sugar sensing eyes.

That’s all it takes! Easy, right?

Okay, for I know I have been a little boring lately, but I am finally getting back into the swing of things. My little guy went back to school today, I spend a disgraceful twenty minutes on my clothes rack elliptical machine and promptly decided cookie decorating was way more fun.

What I’m trying to say is that I am finally back on track and seeing as how I will probably be too sore to walk tomorrow, I’ll have even more sitting time in the next few days which I promise will be spent decorating. That and taking non-sucky photos, I hope!

That’s really shderw! Good to see the logic set out so well.

Those flowered J’s are one of my favourite COOKIES of all times… LOVE them!

Thanks for the tips, but I really just had to say that I’m in love with your jars of sprinkles. I think I’m going to have to buy a bunch of jars and make mine look all pretty like that, too! I work at World Market and already have the perfect little apothecary jars in mind (and I get a discount!) So much better than the cardboard box of miscellaneous sprinkle containers I have now!

So pretty!!

lol your posts always make me smile 🙂 Happy decorating!

You have NOT been boring lately. Love your posts – and I could see the clear sugar just fine. BTW, I love the flowers & ladybugs – makes me think of spring. I’ve been dragged kicking and screaming into winter – I don’t want to do winter anymore…ever… So spring thoughts are MORE than welcome! Thanks!

Oh your sugar jars are a piece of art all by themselves! I almost never think about using sanding sugar. But I want to. And… “magic invisible sugar sensing eyes”….SO funny! I love it!

Ha I was just stalking you! I didn’t use it.much either. Then I got on this weird kick and that shelf happened. Then Bernie started rolling is eyes with each new package and saying, “do YOU REALLY need that?”

Thanks for the tip. I’m in love with the ladybugs.

Wow, those are some beautiful cookies!
Thanks for the tutorial. I love that photo of all the sanding sugar!

You are never boring to us.. I find every single addition to your blog very enlightning. Thank you so much for all the advice and demonstrations you provide. Maybe sometimes you think that they are not very good but trust me EVERY thing you share is helpful to the ones who want to be a great decorator. I am not an organized person so all your tips really motivate me. Might I ask where you found your little containers for the sugars?

Dollar Tree score! I can’t figure out the timing though. Whether they are always out or they do Christmas only. I was going to email and ask because I need them all the time!

Gorgeous cookies and photos.
At the clothes rack got at least one day of use this year. for something other than hanging clothes 🙂
Hope 2012 is filled with more beautiful cookies from you. I am always eager to see what you have in store!

Believe it or not, Dollar Tree! Neat huh!!!

I love your wall of jars with sugar. I want it so bad. And the cookies are beautiful too.

The pictures are not sucky and I know what you mean about getting back into the swing of things-I’m feeling lazy and tired. But bloggy break is over, so I guess we will see each other on line for aur regularly scheduled postings next week, right? 🙂

Right! I’m slowly easing back in!

I’ve read the whole post and I keep scrolling up to all the jars of sugar. Then I go back down and read the post again and then scroll back up to see ALL THE JARS OF SUGAR!!! I love pretty coloured jars all in a row! And thanks for the tutorial! I’ve been a Sugarbelle blog creeper for a while now and am venturing out to comment in 2012! (P.S. I totally don’t mean to sound all scary and creepy by saying that! LOL)

I love your posts and thanks so much for taking the time to provide tutorials and awesome info and tips!!! *HUGS*

I’m SO jealous of your Sanding Sugar Shelf! It’s not just useful, it’s artful & so pretty. Great tutorial 🙂

Whelp….I believe these must have been a seasonal item. No such luck here on the West Coast, however, Dollar Tree did have these nifty oval- ish shaped 2 or 3 oz. empty spice bottles in the glassware aisle that have super handy dual flip top lids. One side sprinkles, and one side pours, and I scored 10. That will sure help keep the sugar tidy. I am guessing you can color both granulated baking sugar, OR the coarser ,larger grained decorators sugar? Super excited now.

What cookie cutter did you use for your ladybug cookies? Some sort of flower?

Thanks,
Carolyn

A regular old ladybug cutter for the large ones and hearts for the bitties

I have enjoyed your “plain” basic cookie instructions for the last few days. Thanks for sharing with us.

Another great post would be your top “a-ha moments” you’ve had with cookie decorating. My recent one was to peel away excess dough and leave the cut cookie on the parchment sheet. My first was “Why have I not used parchment sheets for cookies all my life????” So much easier than using a spatula to move cookies one by one to the cooling rack!

Thanks for the idea! That sounds like FUN! I have a post about all of my favorite things I have learned from others. I may add my own aha moments!

Hi! New to your blog and I must say I am very impressed (almost like it better than Bakerella both cool but you post more)! I am also very new to cookie decorating (I do some cake and I’m starting to get the hang of the infamous cakeballs) and after reading your site I can’t wait to jump in and get started on cookie decorating! Now to my question! lol

Do u ever buy the clear sanding sugar in bulk and color it yourself or is it better to buy the sanding sugar already colored?

Thanks

Kristy

HAHAHAHA, wait til you see today’s post!

Hi Sugarbelle

I just love your blog. I get excited when I see your emails in my inbox. You are just so clever and talented and I love your attention to details. I wish that I could do what you do!! I love your work!!

Rachel

Love your new cute little jars for sanding sugar. I remember asking about your sanding sugar forever ago and then I went out and bought tons of glass jars right after that and I love them. I’m so glad that I asked. I had been buying sanding sugar in tiny little bottles that were expensive and now I buy the 1 lb bags from Country Kitchen Sweet Art like you had recommended. Lifesaver! Hubby loves sanding sugar so I use it often. And yes, we can see your clear sanding sugar with our magical eyes. It adds dimension and prettiness to your already gorgeous cookies! In tomorrow’s post you’ll have to let us know if you’re sore from your work-out. This past week my legs have felt like JELLO with trying to get back to exercise! Frustrating! But awesome job in making it work! Can’t wait to see more of your creations and tutorials for 2012!

I love sanding sugar too and could see the clear sugar perfect! Every time I see your cookies I want to change my frosting! 🙂

Do not do it! I love your cookies taste and appearance. There has GOT to be a way! We can think of something!

I love using sanding sugar too, gives an added dimension to the cookies. Your flowers are so cute and I love the colour of the stems. I’ve been on a blogging break since Dec. 31st and I’m anxious to get back. Hopefully inspiration will hit me this week 🙂

You have been missed! I was wondering if you had gone to see your daughter =) Cannot wait to see what you come up with!!!

Oh Mah Gawd. Your sanding sugar jars / display is to die for! I’m a sucker for organization and I love this! Your work is beautiful and reading your blog inspired me to start baking more. I asked for a ton of new cookie supplies for Christmas and cannot wait to start using them! Happy New Year and I can’t wait to see what 2012 brings!

I love love LOVE sanding sugars! They are one of my go to staples for decorating cookies, cake pops, pretzels – anything – just so darn pretty!

for the flower centers, what kind of icing do you use? would you share your recipe? The daisy is an icon for a group i am in, and I would love to make some cookies like these for our next gathering. I’m new to decorating but I’m willing to try, if they look half as good as these i will be happy. I’m open to any tips or tricks you might be willing to share.

Thanks for more great tips! Your sanding sugar wall is dreamy:) Love that Texas accent:)

Where did you get these amazing jars for your sanding sugar?? I am dying to organize all mine…and I LOVE those jars!! Are they airtight? Thanks for sharing your organizing strategies and sanding sugar techniques!!!!

Your work is simply beautiful and very inspiring for me. I took several cake decorating classes in the past and loved it but just didn’t have the time to practice like I needed to. Plus having a cake to deal with after is much harder to give away then cookies. I can’t wait to start baking cookies again and work on my skills. I am so excited to follow you and read more on your site. Thank you for the inspiration!

I love your cookies!!! You are so talented! I grew up in Lubbock! Attended Monterey High School back in the 70’s LOL!! Still have family there. What a fun place to grow up! Thanks so much for sharing with us dreamers! LOL!

Sugar Belle,
Your cookies look simply Beautiful 🙂
My favorite would have to be the lovely Ladybug styled cookies….my husband an i are expecting our first little ladybug to arrive in April and i must say your cute an crafty cookies will be joining in on the Baby Shower fun!
Thanks for the Wonderful idea

Where did you get the jars for your sugars and sprinkles? I’ve been looking everywhere for little jars for all my stuff and can’t find any!!

And thank you for the tip for adding cornstarch! I’ve been making my own colored sugar and I could never figure out why it never came out right!

I was wondering if the letters you made on the cookies are royal icing decorations or. did you draw and flood ? They look marvelous and I wanted to do them for my daughters 12th bday . Just can never figure the size lettering to use still or font… *blindsided* lol. Please help if you can. Thanks

I love the idea of the clear jars for the sanding sugars. Where did you purchase the jars? Thank you 🙂

Those were leftover from other sprinkles, BUT I saw some cool ones in the Target dollar bin recently.

What if you want to cover the entire cookie with sanding sugar? I’m making “4” and “0” cookies in black and gold for a birthday and want to finish each number a solid color of sanding sugar. Any tips suggestions for applying the sugar?

Oh, BTW, I used your tutorial for Hula Girl cookies and it was amazing. Thank you so very much!!